Under the Skies of Hoenn
by Senpaii
Summary: Two energetic adolescents start their journey across Hoenn. They get off to a bumpy start in their relationship, but as soon as they communicate, they will realize they have a lot of things in common. Who knows? Maybe their relationship could be something special. A tale of adventure, romance, friendship, rivalry, and so much more. Welcome to Hoenn.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Pokémon or any of its franchises.

I realize the layout may be a bit messy, but I hope you enjoy it!

. . . . . .

The soft and serene hum of birds echoed through the air. There was a subtle scent of bread being baked, most likely emerging from the local bakery down below. Rays of light shun through the cracks of the leaves – creating beautiful shadow patterns. And just as he thought everything was peaceful, there came a knock on the door.

"Barney, it's time to wake up!"

Groaning as he got up, Barney sat at the foot of his bed and glanced at the clock.

"But it's only seven…"

The young adolescent got off his bed and headed over to the closet – rummaging through and grabbing out his normal attire and stuffed a few more in his bag. This was just enough to keep him clean through his journey. Oh that's right, it was the day he was going to travel Hoenn.

. . . . . .

"I love you, promise me you'll be safe! And if you ever need anything don't hesitate to call us."

"Remember, what's the first rule of training, son?"

"Always treat your Pokemon like you treat yourself. I know everything, dad."

"Good then. Have fun and call in frequently, your mother and I would love to hear from you."

Barney gave his parents each a long and meaningful hug before leaving – it was the last one he would give for quite a while.

Barney's first stop on his journey would be the local gym. Fortree City Gym Leader, Winona, was the one who personally trained him. They both share a mutual love for flying types.

He reached the gym and walked up the flight of stairs, all the way to the roof. It was an endless flight of stairs - at one point he thought that it wouldn't lead anywhere. But his thoughts were proven wrong as he finished his tough and tiring climb. It was more than a thousand steps, or so Barney thought. It sure felt like it. After those flight of stairs came a single glass door that revealed a large battling ground filled with trees and shrubs. It was a grassland, paradise to a bird.

"Barney! I was wondering whether you could get hear any later." Winona revealed herself to be perching high on a branch of a tree - the tallest tree up there. Jumping from branch to branch, she eventually got to the bottom.

"I would've been even later if it wasn't for mother."

Winona chuckled, and then gestured for him to walk over. She occupied herself with her vibrant colored hair - using a hairband to tie it up into a very long ponytail. The ends of her hair gazed the surface of the ground - merely touching it. After finishing with her hair, she put on her normal head gear that looked like a pilot's helmet. It had goggles strapped on.

"Are you ready?"

Barney replied with a soft nod, anticipating the moment he had been waiting for his whole life. Winona reached down to her waist and pulled off two red and white balls - they were shrunk so both of them could easily be on one hand. But they immediately changed size with a push of a button. Winona tossed one of them over to Barney.

Barney easily caught it, sports may not be one of his hobbies but anyone could easily catch a ball that size. He gazed at the beauty of it, the beauty that within that ball contained something extraordinary. But he quickly noticed the other ball that Winona had. It wasn't one of her ones, he thought. With a perplexed look on his face, Barney pointed to the extra one.

"Who's that one for?"

Winona grinned at the teen and gestured towards the stairs.

"She should be here soon."

And just as Winona finished her sentence, another teen about the same age as Barney, appeared through the door. She had magnificent locks of blonde hair which flowed majestically over her shoulders. It was shorter than Winona's, but still long so it went down to her waist. She wore what an average teen would, a simple shirt followed by a short skirt, and to compliment that there was a flower in her hair. It was a flower Barney did not recognize, it resembled a rose of some sort but it wasn't. The female strolled her way over to the two - trying to look her best.

"Aurelia! Glad you could make it!"

"Hey, Winona!" Winona tossed the other ball over to her. She hadn't really paid any attention to the other teen standing next to her, but when she did her heart couldn't help but skipped a beat. Barney couldn't keep his eyes off of her, the longer he stared the more difficult it was to stop. But he had to, otherwise it would be awfully weird. The two teens were gazing at each other, which led to Winona raising an eyebrow. It was easy to assess the situation, Winona thought.

"Barney, this is Aurelia. Aurelia, this is Barney."

Barney flashed a gentle but charming smile towards her way. Aurelia was mesmerized by his smile, it was just so soothing. Aurelia was shifting her gaze between his lips and eyes for a good ten seconds before returning the long awaited response - a smile.

"Right, in your hands is a Pokemon, which you can call your starter. Why not let them out to see what they are?" Winona knew exactly what they were. She carefully chose them as they fit the trainer's personality and battle style. She hoped she didn't accidentally switch the two balls. It was interesting if she did, but at the same time it could be troublesome.

Aurelia was first to go. Apart from the eager smile on her face, she was also trying to impress Barney whether she knew it or not. With the ball in her hand, she press the center of it which made it enlarge into an even bigger version of it. Her heart pumped faster, she was eager to see what Winona picked for her. Throwing the red and white ball into the air, it soon released Aurelia's first Pokemon.

It was a light blue bird, sky blue even. It had two feathers sticking out of its head, which made it look like antlers to some. Its tail was about the same length as the two feathers, but it was thin. It had two small but deadly talons. To finish it off, it had white puffs of clouds as wings. It was a wonder how it could even fly with those.

"A Swablu!" Aurelia couldn't help but let out a soft squeal. The blue bird, now revealed to be Swablu, gently glided her way over to Aurelia - landing gently on her head. Aurelia was amazed at how gentle this soft blue fluff of a bird was. Raising her hand over her head, she gave Swablu a few gentle rubs on the head. Aurelia turned over to face the other teen, who like her, had the same eager expression on his face.

"Your turn."

Barney pushed the center of the ball - which transformed it into the same size as everyone's. He didn't care for tossing it into the air, he just pressed the button again which flipped the ball open. Within the flash of white light, another bird Pokemon appeared.

This one however, was quite different. It was dark blue in color with shades of light red on its head and white on its body. Its tail was split into two sections, which quite possibly would make it even faster as there was less air resistance. Its beak was longer than Swablu's, it looked sharper as well. The talons were bigger and sharper. But, it did look mighty cute.

"A Taillow." Taillow circled the group high up in the air. He hadn't been out of his ball in quite a long time, which was one of the reasons why Winona had decided to give him away. Taillow eventually swooped down and landed on Barney's shoulder - rubbing his head with Barney's. Barney chuckled and patted his head.

"Right, let's have a battle, shall we?" Winona stepped back and gestured for the two teens to take the very large battlefield. It left them with stunned looks on their face. They definitely didn't expect to be asked to battle this soon into getting their starters.

"I want to see you two battle, come on!" Winona climbed back onto her tree and sat on a branch - eagerly waiting for the two to begin.

Barney and Aurelia flashed each other a look before stepping back into their positions. Barney took a position near a tree where he could lean on. Aurelia on the other hand stood on the open grassland, rotating the attacks Swablu knew in her head.

"You can go first." Barney gestured for Aurelia to start, he folded his arms and anticipated the battle.

"Swablu, use growl!" Swablu jumped off Aurelia's head and flew high up into the air. It circled the air a few times before finally coming to a halt. It floated in front of Aurelia - facing the opponent. It opened its little beak and released a sweet cry. The cry echoed through the air and vibrated through Taillow. Taillow now hesitated to attack, he didn't wait to hurt something that cute. But that didn't stop Barney.

"Growl at her back, Taillow." Taillow mimicked the movements of Swablu at the start - soaring straight into the sky and dipping back down. It let out an intimidating screech which leveled Swablu. She now was hesitant to attack something so intimidating. Aurelia grit her teeth and commanded again.

"Use peck!" Swablu charged her way through the air, although the little blue bird wasn't the fastest, it could still fly pretty fast. Before Taillow knew it, Swablu's sharp beak impacted with his body. The attack sent Taillow flying back a few spaces before regaining his stance. Barney didn't look at all worried.

"Focus energy." The dark blue bird stayed where it was and stared intensely into Swablu's eyes. He concentrated. A light blue aura started to glow around his body as he concentrated - he was getting ready for his first attack.

Aurelia had a stunned look on her face as to why Barney wasn't making Taillow attack. If she hadn't know any better she would've thought he was taking it easy. She didn't want to be treated as a weak girl, but as a trainer who is capable of winning a battle.

"Use Peck again!" Swablu nodded her confirmation and repeated the attack – soaring through the air and penetrating Taillow with her beak. Taillow let out a cry before spiraling down - but he managed to regain his stance and pulled up before he hit the ground. Taillow shrugged his wings and flashed Barney a look.

"Use growl again, Taillow." A confused look appeared on Taillow's face, but he did not question the order. Taillow did his best and let out another screech, attempting to level Swablu down to his level. Aurelia was getting more aware of the situation, and she didn't like it.

"Why aren't you making Taillow attack?!"

"Strategy." Barney shrugged off that remark and grinned. Aurelia was getting more fired up, she realized what was going on.

"Peck again." Swablu circled the sky before shooting straight down for a final blow. Her beak collided with Taillow's body - sending him spiraling down and out of the sky.

Barney ran up and caught him before he hit the ground – soothing it with words. "I'm sorry about that, Taillow. You'll get a proper battle one day."

Aurelia called back Swablu with the red and white ball. She fixed her hair and walked over to Barney and nudged him. "What was that about?!"

Barney noticed the upset expression she had and immediately changed his posture. He rubbed his head and fixed his hair as well.

"I didn't feel Taillow had it in him."

"That's a load of rubbish, you let me win." Regardless of how many times Barney was declining, Aurelia knew it was true. Maybe she should be happy that he let her win, but then again, it made her look weak and vulnerable.

"I didn't, you won based on pure skill." And that right there was when Barney really regretted something he said. That remark sent shivers through Aurelia's body. She shrugged it off and turned away from the teen. It left her speechless.

Aurelia flashed Winona a look and walked over to the exit - disappearing down the stairs.

Winona got off the tree and walked over to Barney. It was easy to notice how disappointed and upset Winona was, but she tried her best to hide it. She understood why Barney did what he did.

"Barney, you know you shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?"

"Because it made her feel weak and defenseless, she's just a good of a trainer as you are."

Barney ran out of words and responses. He called Taillow back inside his ball and placed it in his pocket - rummaging his hair in response.

"I know you did that because you liked her. I understand. But the better thing to do was to battle her for real."

Winona gave Barney a pat on the back and smiled. Barney looked at her smile, it couldn't compare to Aurelia's.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll get along someday. Good luck on your journey!" Winona gave Barney a nudge before walking down the same flight of stairs.

"Someday…"


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokémon or any of it's franchises.

. . . . . .

Glancing over his shoulder and past the dark blue bird in his shoulder, Barney took one long last look at Fortree City. It really was a sight. It was the only city to actually have houses perched high up on trees, and one of the few places with trees capable of holding them. Ladders and bridges hang fom branch to branch, some made of wood, some of reinforced metal. The inhabitants of Fortree tend to stay fit and healthy, because they have to maneuver around obstacles. Barney certainly is.

Barney nodded to himself, releasing a subtle sigh. He definitely was going to miss home. He raised his hand up and adjusted the position of his coat to a more comfortable one. It was autumn and the temperature was slowly decreasing. Barney took a step forward, and that step was his first one out of Fortree since he was born.

"We'll be back, Taillow, don't worry."

. . . . . .

Route 119 was a long and wide route filled with a variety of unique Pokemon that can't be found anywhere else. It is also home to the Weather Institue, where brilliant minds come together. That was where Barney was headed, and not for a pleasant reason. Well, semi-pleasant.

Without delay, Barney reached the institute in no time. It was a big rectangular building, three, maybe four stories high. The building was made out of glass with a small concrete lining between each. From the outside, you can witness the finest brains working to predict the weather. The entrance was made out of glass as well, it was two sliding doors. And at the entrance, blocked a giant tree-dinosaur mix creature.

Crowds gathered to view this creature, some surrounding it from a distance and others from the institute. White flashes emerged from cameras with every click, chatters echoed through the crowd. Barney walked up to the crowd and peered over everyone.  
"Isn't that a Tropius?" Barney squinted his eyes as he shifted through the crowd. Lashes of hair whacked his face as everyone else turned to face the right. Barney himself did the same, and noticed a world known reporter and her cameraman. They were rushing over to the commotion, setting up a tripod stand and aiming the camera towards the Tropius.

With a microphone in her hand, the famous reporter started her speech. "Good afternoon, citizens of Hoenn! You know me as Vanessa, and the star of this report is this magnificent Pokemon blocking the Weather Institute! All you trainers may know it as...Tropius! The reason of why it's doing that is unknown. We're currently waiting for someone to happen, maybe a trainer could make it flee by battling it. Either way, we'll keep you updated! Vanessa signing out!"

After the report had ended, the crowd dispersed and surrounded the reporter and her sidekick. Barney stayed where he was, just gazing at the Tropius. Why is it doing that? There must be something wrong with it. Taking a step forward, Barney slowly approached the dinosaur carefully. As he got closer the characteristics of Tropius truly came to life.

It was a brown dinosaur with patches of green leaves covering its body and head. It had two pair of wings made out of giant leaves, possibly banana leaves. At its neck was a bunch of bananas, carefully hanging on. It stood on four short and stubby legs. Lastly, they have long necks to help them reach food located somewhere high up.

The Tropius seemed oblivious to Barney as he got closer. The crowd was still busy getting Vanessa to sign autographs and what not. But the cameraman had his camera pointed to Barney, trying his best to get away from the crowd. "Vanessa, take a look at this."

The cameraman picked up his tripod and rushed over to where Barney was, but kept a safe distance. He set the tripod and glanced over to where Vanessa was. She was still being mauled by the crowd. "Vanessa!" Still no response.

"Hey kid, what are you planning to do?" The cameraman aimed his camera towards the teen and clicked the record button.

"Someone has to do something, right? That's what I'm doing." Barney eventually got to where the dinosaur was. He gestured for Taillow to fly away for now, just so he doesn't scare Tropius. Barney slowly extended out his hand, inching closer and closer to the dinosaur. He was careful not to make any sudden movements or to provoke it. His hand grazed the surface of Tropius's body. The brown body felt rough, like it's been through tough times. Barney started to slowly stroke the dinosaur. Tropius let out a soft cry, like it was relieved.

"Amazing, kid." The cameraman raised his hands and applauded Barney's efforts. Barney replied with a nod and reached to his back pocket - pulling out a Pokemon treat. He raised it up to where Tropius's mouth was - gesturing for it to eat. It hesitated at first, but it eventually warmed up to Barney and munched down on the treat.

Barney reached for another one to give, but this time he walked backwards and gestured for it to follow. The dinosaur did so without hesitation, lifting its heavy legs and walking towards Barney. It moved far enough to clear a path for the entrance.  
The door slid open and a few people wearing white lab coats rushed out. They all had their phones out and pointed at the dinosaur. "Did we get that on video?" All the scientists frantically nodded a response and clicked away at their devices.

Barney didn't take much note of them, he was too busy admiring the dinosaur he had calmed. Tropius let out a soft murmur and rubbed its head against Barney's hand. With his free hand, Barney reached for a free Pokéball and enlarged it. _Don't freak out, buddy._

Pushing it gently against the dinosaur, the little ball engulfed the creature and dropped to the ground. The ball shook once. _Come on, buddy._ Twice. _Come on._ Thrice. And it froze.

From a little flash, Barney knew it was done. Good job. He picked up there red and white ball and smiled at it. _Thank you._

Taillow appeared from the roof, gliding down and landing on Barney's shoulder. Vanessa finally squished her way through the frantic crowd and rushed over to where Barney was.

"What did I miss, Joe?!" Vanessa adjusted her channel seven coat and fixed her dark hair by brushing it to the side. She had a confused and upset look on her face.

"You missed everything, miss. This kid soothed his way into the Tropius's heart and finally captured it. Luckily, I filmed the whole thing so we can edit you in." The cameraman, Joe, dismantled his tripod and placed the camera on his shoulder.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's work!" Vanessa rushed back to the news van they came in. Joe squirmingly followed Vanessa, having one last glance at Barney. "Don't you think we should interview him?" Vanessa frantically shook her head. "He doesn't seem like the interview friendly type, he'll probably just growl at the camera."

Right, time to find out. Barney strolled his way through the entrance and into the institute with a concerned look on his face.

. . . . . .

The Weather Institue had a humongous interior. The ground floor had a waiting area for visitors, the front desk, some personnel offices, and a place for Pokemon. It was filled with a variety of people, some scientists and some just visiting. If you look up, you can directly see the other floors. You can either go up via the escalator or the elevator. People tend to use the elevator more, though. Barney walked up to the front desk and took something out of his pocket. He slid it across the counter for the personnel to see.

"Excuse me, I was wondering whether I could see this man." The receptionist took the piece of paper and examined it. A name was scribbled on it, Lachlan.

"Let me check, one second." The receptionist clicked away at her keyboard and stared intensely into the screen. She tapped her finger on the desk whenever the page was loading. But after a few moment, the screen pulled up a new window. "I'm sorry sir, Mister Lachlan hasn't been with us for over a year."

"Oh, could I speak with Julian, the scientist, please?" Barney sure wasn't going to give up. He had to find him, he just had to.

"Sure! He's stationed on the third floor, take the elevator and he's in the first room to your right." The receptionist gestured to the elevator and Taillow as well. "Before you go up, drop your Pokemon off at the care center." Barney nodded his reply and did just that.

With a click of a button, the mechanical box started its ascent. It stopped on the third floor, sliding open to allow passengers out and in. Barney took a step out and approached the room on the right. On it said, 'Forecast Team'. This should be the right room.  
Knocking a few times on the glass door, Barney peered in and noticed a personnel walking towards him. The door slid open, the personnel was a very tall man, late forties, black and grey hair, green eyes. He wore a white coat and had a grim look on his face. "And who are you?"

"Uhm, are you Julian?" Barney raised an eyebrow and nervously looked him in the eye. _I never knew Julian was this old._ "Yes, I am. I ask again, who are you?"

"My name is Barney, and I was hoping to find out more about Lachlan. I heard you knew him well, sir." Barney nervously fiddled with his coat, he did not expect Julian to be this stern, or old even. "I do, what's it to you?"

"He's my brother."  
. . . . . .

Inside the forecast room was a bit small, but big enough for a team to work in. It had high-tech gear and a huge screen hung up on the front wall. That screen displayed the map of Hoenn, along with predicted weather patterns in blue, and the current weather in red. Barney and Julian took a subtle seat at the back of the room. "So, what do you want to know about Lachlan?"

"Well, I'd like to know when he left the institute." Barney took out a notepad and a pen, ready to scribble down short notes.

"Laclan left about this time a year ago, but even when he was here he would take frequent leaves." Barney nodded at Julian's remark, not wasting one second and asked again. "Do you know why he took those leaves? It's not like him to do that."

"No I don't. Lachlan was very closed about his personal life, and I just respected it, so did everyone else. Have you not heard from him?" Julian adjusted his seat and leaned forward.

"We haven't heard from him for over a year, not even a goodbye note. I'm just trying my best to find him." Barney's face turned grim for a good few seconds, thinking about Lachlan made him down.

"Ah, well I do hope you find him. There was one person that Lachlan really talked about, apart from you of course. Daniel Napier, he was Lachlan's best friend. I believe he lives either in Rustboro or Slateport, not quite sure. He might know where he is." As soon as Barney's pen stopped scratching the notepad, both him and Julian stood up and shook hands firmly. "Thanks for the help, doctor. I'll be on my way to Rustboro then."

Barney walked towards the exit but was stopped by the sound of Julian's voice. "Oh, did you happen to see what happened to the Tropius below?"

Barney chuckled and showed him the Pokéball. "I caught it."

After the elevator hit the ground floor, Barney stepped out, picked Taillow up, and exited the institute, taking one last look at it. For some reason he imagined that one day he would work here. Taking the Pokéball out, he tossed it in the air. From the subtle puff of white flash came the green dinosaur, landing firmly on the ground. "Hey, buddy."

Getting up on Tropius's back, he patted it twice. "Time to fly to Rustboro." And with that phrase, Tropius flapped its banana leaves of wings and took off the ground. It flew south west, towards Rustboro.

_Let's hope Daniel can help._

_. . . . . ._

So that's the end of chapter two! I hoped you all enjoyed it.

I'll be writing new chapters every week, so keep your eyes peeled!


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokémon or any of it's franchises.

. . . . . .

After a good day or two of flying, Barney finally arrived at Rustboro City. He landed on a small patch of grass on the outskirts of the city. Tropius looked worn out from the trip, and nudged his head against Barney's shoulder. Acknowledging Tropius's request, Barney took out his Pokeball and tapped it against the dinosaur. The ball engulfed him inside, closing shut afterwards. Barney released a sigh and stared at city's horizons. It looked amazing. Snapping out of his thoughts, Barney started walking towards the city.

Rustboro was a small city, possibly one of the smallest in Hoenn. However it was similar to Jubilife in Sinnoh, although Jubilife is huge. It was known for its cable cars which ran up and down the city. Apart from the city gym, people also travel here to enroll into the Trainer's School, which was home to over a thousand trainers from all around the region. Another interesting place was Devon Corporation, which had its own tower at the west of Rustboro. In fact, it was one of the only few high-rise building in the city. The first place Barney was visiting was the school, which he got to via the cable car.

The school itself was located on a huge campus filled with students and Pokemon. Barney visited the center of the campus, which was a water fountain surrounded by a garden. The fountain was of a Dewgong made of stone, which had water running down and out of its mouth. Barney planned on taking a seat at the edge, but there was a familiar face blocking his way.

There on the edge of the fountain was Aurelia, tossing coins into the fountain. She faced away from where Barney was standing. Silently walking his way over to her, Barney thought of what he was going to say. She was most likely still mad at him for what he did, but he had to try something.

"Wishing for something?" That one phrase caught Aurelia's attention, which made her turn to see Barney standing there with a grin on his face. She didn't reply, but instead turned away and tossed another coin in. "Yeah, I wish you would go away."

That caught Barney off guard, it left a lump in his throat as he pondered on what to say next. Aurelia knew what she had said punched Barney in the gut. For a moment she even thought about taking it back.

"I'm sorry about our battle, about what I said after." Barney took a seat on the edge but kept a distance from Aurelia. He looked down at the floor as he released a sigh. "That was the only thing I could say then, it's just... I don't know. I just wanted to see you happy, I guess." That last sentence was said with a whisper, but he made it loud enough.

The two sat there in silence for a considerable amount of time, neither one of them knew what to say. Aurelia felt an empty feeling, like she was supposed to forgive him or something. But she couldn't, could she? The silence finally broke when Barney decided to get up and walk away. "Wait, I...I forgive you."

A smile lit up on Barney's face but he managed to calm it down a notch. He turned around to face Aurelia, who now was up and standing, following Barney. She gestured for them to take a walk through the campus. Barney nodded and lead the way.

It was a beautiful weather for a stroll, it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold, just perfect. The leaves on the trees were falling and wilting, turning from a vibrant green to a just as vibrant orange. Winter was soon approaching, but people were enjoying Autumn as much as they can. "So, what are you doing in Rustboro?"

"Oh well, I came here to challenge the gym. Swablu isn't suited for this gym, so I caught another Pokemon to help." The two inched closer together, whether they knew it or not. Barney nodded and smiled at her remark.

"What Pokemon did you catch?" Barney fiddled with the contents of his pocket, just making sure his two Pokemon were there.

"A water type, Wingull." Hearing Wingull couldn't help but put a smile on Aurelia's face. Barney smiled as well, looks like Aurelia just couldn't abandon a flying type. "What about you, did you catch anything?"

"Yeah, I caught a Tropius. It was blocking the Weather Institute and no one was doing anything. Vannessa the news reporter, she was there as well." Barney chuckled.

"You met Vanessa? Is she as nice as everyone says?" Aurelia looked interested in Barney's story, leaning in closer as he explained.

"Not really, she was being mauled by the crowd so it was only the cameraman that caught me. But I overheard their conversation, she doesn't seem like a nice person." Aurelia sighed at that remark, knowing that famous people are not actually what they are hyped up to be. "Would you like to see Tropius?"

Aurelia immediately stopped in her tracks, and eagerly nodded. A smile couldn't help but sneek up on her face. Barney took a Pokéball out of his pocket and threw it up into the air. The small ball burst open with a bright flash, and from that flash emerged a dinosaur.

It landed on all four, flapping its gigantic wings as it lowered its head. Barney raised his hand up and stroked the surface of its brown skin. Using the same hand, he grabbed Aurelia's and placed it on the dinosaur. Her heart skipped a beat when Barney touched her hand, it just felt so smooth. She hesitated at first, but instantly calmed as she stroked the dinosaur. "Tropius, meet Aurelia."

A soft purr emerged from Tropius as Aurelia's hand grazed the surface of his skin. As Barney was scratching Tropius's body, his hand accidentally met Aurelia's. His hand went over hers in an attempt to hold it. Aurelia slid her hand away and off of Tropius before he could do so, looking down as she did so. She felt a jab in her heart, but she couldn't, it was too soon. Wasn't it? Barney took his hand back as well, looking away for a quick second. "Uhm...would you like to see Wingull?"

Barney nodded a reply which sent Aurelia's hand to her pocket, grabbing and throwing the red and white ball into the air. From the midst of a vibrant white flash came a small white and blue bird. It flapped its fluffy wings and soared the skies before finally coming down to their level and floated. Barney extended out his hand to feel it, but the bird dodged out of the way before he could do so. "Sorry about that, she's a naughty one."

Flashing a soft smile, Barney attempted to pet the bird again. It shifted away from Barney's hand once more, and this time flying high into the sky. "She sure is feisty."

Barney fiddled with his Pokéball before bumping it on Tropius, engulfing the dinosaur back inside. Aurelia did the same, sending a beam of red light which met the white bird in the sky. They both kept their Pokeballs back inside their pockets, then smiled at each other. "Have you tried the cable car yet? It's fantastic."

"No, can we go there now?" Aurelia replied with a question. She was planning to go after this, and it would just be delightful if she went with Barney. She eagerly looked at him, a smile couldn't help but creep its way onto her face. "Definitely."

. . . . . .

The two teens made their way to a cable car station and boarded a cable car. They took a seat near the back next to the window. Aurelia sat by the window and gazed at the scenery. The cable car started its journey, going south of Rustboro. The wind blew against Aurelia's blonde hair, which exposed her long and soft face. Barney couldn't help but admire the beauty in front of him. "You look...lovely."

Hearing those words made Aurelia's cheeks turn a subtle pink, which she hid by turning away for a quick second. She turned back to look at the other teen and mustered a smile. "Thanks."

The two sat in silence as the cable car made its journey, neither of them breaking the silence. But they didn't feel awkward at all, they actually felt comfortable. Barney took this as a sign that their relationship was growing, and this made him feel happy. The cable car soon reached its final destination, at the very southern point of Rustboro. It just so happens that next to the station was a nice apartment where Aurelia was staying at. The two teens slowly made their way off the cable car, taking their time. Their stroll to the hotel was filled with chit chat and flirts, both teens firing away at each other. They both seemed lost in the moment.

The apartment was a large single building, towering about twenty stories high. It was painted a nice soft yellow which has decayed over time, leaving gaps of brown. Barney and Aurelia got to the entrance, where they stopped and looked at each other. Barney's eyes surveyed her face, focusing mainly on her vibrant colored eyes. "Today was fun, we should do it again."

"Yep, definitely. Thanks for tagging along." Aurelia slid her hands into her pockets, nervously fiddling with the contents inside.

"No worries. I guess I'll see you around."

"I guess." Aurelia received a charming smile from the other teen before he turned and walked away. "Hey, Barney. Don't worry about Fortree, it's over."

Barney stopped in his tracks and turned - a smile protruding on his face. He raised his hand and gestured a wave before walking away once more. "Have a good night."

"You too..."

. . . . . .

And that concludes chapter 3~ Sorry it took so long, was busy with finals c:

Hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER:** I do no not own Pokémon or any of its franchises!

. . . . . .

_There it is...Devon Corp._

Devon Corporation was a world renowned company known for their innovative inventions such as the PokeNav. Their main headquarter is in the city of Rustboro, and it was located right at the center of the whole city. The building was the highest one in the city, towering almost fifty stories high. It was made out of glass which were tinted a shade of blue. You could see researchers, office workers, and everyone else doing their everyday duties from the outside. Aurelia was sitting on a bench opposite the building, just looking up at it.

Aurelia had spent her morning with breakfast from a local bakery, followed by a cable car trip to Devon Corp. She had no real intention of entering the building, but just to sit and observe outside. She stared at the masses of people entering and exiting the building, reading their facial expressions and body language. It was interesting to see how each person differed from one another. Some were rather happy and joyous, others were stressed and frustrated. Aurelia took a sip of her piping hot tea in a cup, enjoying the view.

The people who were entering and exiting were all distinct in their own way. Some had tattoos running up their arms, others had unique hairstyles. Aurelia would note even the slightest detail, and that detail is what makes them unique. However, there was one person that really stood out.

A blonde male wearing a dark coat and pants, followed by simple shoes. It was just something about this person that spoke out to Aurelia. _Come on...turn around._ The blonde didn't, but instead looked to his right and exposed half of his face. Eyes shaded with a crescent blue were complimented with a soft smile worth a thousand words. Aurelia leaned in closer, trying her best to make shape out of this blonde. _Barney?_

Before she could be certain of who it was, the blonde turned away and entered the building. Aurelia, out of instinct, shot straight up, threw away her breakfast, and followed him. When she entered the building, her hair was pushed back by the cool breeze made by the A/C. She took a moment to enjoy the change of temperature, but she immediately went back to business. Her eyes scanned the building. Inside was very modern, the front desk was made out of glass and the computers they were using looked like they were from the future. Behind the counter was a huge screen which displayed various information that Aurelia didn't take note of. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the blonde, who was taking the escalator up. Aurelia slowly followed him, trying her best not to get noticed.

The escalator led her up to the fifth floor, which looked almost identical to the first except for the front counter. It had multiple booths that were spread out across the floor, and each one had scientists working away at them. The blonde went to a booth at the corner of the room, and so did Aurelia. But she visited the booth next to it and took a seat at a desk. It was someone's desk, but that someone wasn't there. The blonde started his conversation with someone Aurelia didn't recognize.

"Hey, Daniel. I wasn't expecting someone...younger than me." Daniel was about fifteen but was much shorter for his age. He wore thick spectacles and had a white labcoat which was longer than him. "No one does, that's what makes me special."

"Yeah, I'm Barney. Lachlan's my brother." _Barney!_ The realization came to Aurelia, it all just seemed so simple. _Should I be here, listening to this?_ Aurelia knew this wasn't something she was supposed to be hearing. She thought of just bolting out of there, but that would attract too much attention. _What do I do..._

But her worries were interrupted when a man came up to her wearing a confused look on his face. "Excuse me, what are you doing in my seat?" He gestured to the desk she was sitting at. This was more than enough to attract the blonde's attention, who immediately faced the situation. "Uh...I'm sorry." Aurelia quickly got off her seat and walked towards the escalator and towards the exit. But a hand stopped her.

"Aurelia, what are you doing here?" Aurelia slowly turned her face, she expected to see an upset look but instead found an over-joyous one. Barney was happy to see her, to say the least. She was finally able to get a good look at his face. The blonde wavy and messy hair flowed down to his ears. His eyes sparkled as it shone a bright blue. Aurelia snapped out of her gaze and smiled back. "I was uh...visiting a friend."

"Was that your friend?" Barney chuckled and gestured to the man at the desk. Aurelia chuckled as well, delighted that Barney wasn't upset. Her eyes scanned Barney, going from his head to toe. She never noticed how well he was dressed. "Sorry, I was just curious."

Barney nodded his head and smiled, gesturing for them to walk over to where he originally was. The two took a seat at the desk where Daniel was sitting at. Daniel was busy typing away at his computer, but he was still managing to talk and listen. Aurelia was still confused as to why Barney was there, and Barney noticed it.

"Have you heard about the Weather Institute near Fortree? My brother was a researcher there, his job was to predict the weather. And because of his job, he had to travel. I rarely got to spend time with him." Aurelia nodded. She had heard of the weather institute before, she has been there a couple of times. But she never knew Barney had a brother. "And who is he?", said Aurelia gesturing to Daniel.

"Let me explain. I haven't seen Lachlan for a few years now, I just thought he was working or travelling. But I was wrong. After Fortree, I stopped by the Weather Institute where I caught Tropius. His boss and mentor, Julian, had no idea where Lachlan was. He said that Lachlan left the job a few years ago. He also said Daniel might know something, because he was Lachlan's closest friend." Barney finished his speech and turned to Daniel, who was still busy on his computer.

"Okay. If I tell you what I know can you leave?" Barney replied with a nod, and leaned in closer. Aurelia sat back and kept her ears open, no matter how much she wanted to punch the kid.

"All I know, is that Lachlan wanted to travel the region. I don't know what for, but I assumed it was to do research. I haven't heard from him in a year, but the last letter I received contained information that he was in Sootopolis. Did Julian not tell you? He received the same letter." Daniel never took his eyes or hands off the keyboard. For someone young he was excellent at multitasking.

"Anyways, the letter also said something about the market. I believe he set up a stall there to sell something, I'm not sure what. A few stalls might know something, or maybe he's still there. There, I told you everything. Please leave." And with that, Barney replied with a thank you and gestured to Aurelia for them to leave.

. . . . . .

"Please tell me I wasn't the only one who wanted to punch the kid." Barney released a soft laugh and shifted his attention to her. They were sitting at a booth by the window in a diner opposite the gym. On the table in front of them was their lunch. Two plates of hamburgers with fries followed with a glass of water. It wasn't the ideal lunch, but it was enough. The two had conversed for the past hour over lunch, but they still haven't finished their meals. It seemed like a perfect day.

"So what are you going to do next?", asked Aurelia. She took a sip of her drink, then a bite of her burger. She chewed on her food and at the same time, eyeballed Barney while he talked - releasing flashes of grins every now and then.

"After this? I might challenge the gym, seeing as we're right opposite it." Barney pointed to the gym outside the window. It was made of brick and it looked like it was a few years old. He smiled and turned back to Aurelia. "Are you going to challenge the gym?"

"Oh, yeah. The gym's a rock type, right? Swablu might not do so good, but Wingull is a water type so that'll help. Tropius is a grass type as well, so that's good!" Aurelia watched as Barney finished his burger, then she looked down at hers. She still had a good quarter to go, but she felt full. Placing her burger down, she took out her wallet and pulled out a couple of notes.

"Oh, you don't have to. I'll pay." Barney quickly reached for his own money and pushed Aurelia's hand back. He grinned joyously and slid off his seat. Grabbing his coat, he gestured for Aurelia to stand up. "Hope you enjoyed the meal."

"I did."

. . . . . .

So that's that! Hope you enjoyed, and I apologize if it's short.

Next chapter will be longer I promise! c:


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokémon or any of it's franchises.

. . . . . .

_This is it._

The two blondes stood outside an oval shaped building. It was made out of brown bricks that looked a few years old. The entrance was made of glass which would slide open when someone walked in front of it. There was a sign hung up in front of the building which said, 'The Rustboro City Gym'. Ther were various stalls spread across the gym, some selling hotdogs, some drinks. It smelled of roses mixed with the smell of food cooking, a truly unique smell. The two blondes stood close to each other, hands barely grazing at each other.

"So, you wanna go first?" Aurelia gracefully looked up to Barney's face, smiling.

"Do they allow double battles? I was thinking we could battle the gym together." Barney replied with a question of his own. Aurelia shrugged her shoulders in response and looked up at the gym. "I'm not so sure, we could ask them."

They nodded to each other and stepped forward. The doors slid open and released a gush of cool air. Barney let out a long breath of air, enjoying the sudden coldness. Barney was confused, he thought that a gym for rock Pokemon would be hotter, rather than cool. They don't get along with water or ice types. But he didn't let it clog his mind for too long. The two blondes made it to the front counter, noticing a registration sheet on the counter. Aurelia was first to take hold of the pen, quickly filling out her information. She slid the notepad to Barney when she was done. He did the same, but was even quicker.

"Excuse me, we uh...have a question. Does the gym accept double battles?" The two ladies sitting behind the counter looked up at the blondes, cheekily grinning at each other. They quickly snapped out of it and switched to a more professional look, but the edges of their mouths still couldn't help but curve. "That's the first time someone has asked us that. And to be honest, we're not so...sure. We'll call Roxanne out."

The lady on the right pushed a button on the desk, leaning forward. "Roxanne, there are some rather...cute kids out here. They want a double battle. Could you come out here please?"

Out of the blue, the wall behind the counter slid open and revealed a young looking female, and behind her was an office designed with a mountainous theme. She stepped forward and sneered at the two ladies. The sneer swiftly turned into a grin as soon as she saw the blondes. "Oh, are these the two kids?"

The two ladies simultaneously nodded their heads, staring anxiously. Roxanne walked up to the two teens, examining them from head to toe. Grinning, she cleared her throat. "So, I assume you're here to challenge the gym?

"Um...yes we are. But we were wondering if we could battle together", said Aurelia, who stepped forward and took control of the situation. The two ladies had their eyes glued onto Barney, who was just shifting between the ground, Aurelia, and Roxanne. Aurelia shifted over to the left, just enough to shield Barney from the two vultures. Roxanne was holding back a laugh, but then went on to reply to the question. "I'll allow it. Please, wait on the battlefield and I'll join you as soon as I'm ready." Roxanne stepped back into her office - the walls slid close. Aurelia let out a sigh and turned to Barney, gesturing for them to walk away. As soon as they had their backs turned the two ladies behind the counter started to giggle.

. . . . . .

Rustboro Gym had a very large battlefield which was covered with rough terrain. At the two ends were boulders which had circular outlines around them. And standing in front of the boulders were two blondes, and at the other the feisty young gym leader, Roxanne. The young leader wore a blue dress with pink ribbons attached to it. She had her hair tied in one lock, with a pink ribbon as well. Standing with her arms on her hips, Roxanne cleared her throat and threw two Pokeballs into the air. A Nosepass and a Geodude emerged from them. "Right! Are you ready?!"

Aurelia was first to step on the battlefield, gripping her Pokéball tightly within her hand. Barney followed her movements, doing the same with his Pokeball. They tossed it up simultaneously, the white and red balls soared in the air before bursting open - releasing a blinding flash of white. And within the flash came a bird and a dinosaur. Wingull and Tropius. Roxanne raised her hand and gestured for the battle to begin. _This is it._

"Use Razor Leaf!" And with that one phrase, Tropius took off the ground and circled the air. Leaning back, it whipped its wings forward, sending out a barrage of sharp leaves towards Nosepass. The Nosepass was too slow to react, the razor leaves pierced its skin, but it didn't react to it. Roxanne retaliated and ordered it to use a Rock Tomb attack. The compass Pokemon acknowledged, slamming its arms against the ground - sending huge boulders flying towards Tropius. Tropius evaded one by shifting over to the left, but the other two hit Tropius full on. Shaking it off, Tropius waited for another order. "Let's attack together."

Wingull flew up and got right next to Tropius. Wingull then released a torrent of water soaring straight at the Nosepass. Tropius let out another wave of razor leaves, this time the leaves were circling the torrent of water. The torrent and leaves combination struck Nosepass full on, the impact sent it back a few spaces. It hit its head on the ground, knocking it out of the battle. Roxanne rushed over to Nosepass's side, tending to it and calling it back into its Pokeball. She stood back up and glared at the two blondes, signalling to Geodude to start their attack.

"Rock Throw!" The rock Pokemon took a boulder left from the earlier attack and hauled it towards the two birds. Wingull managed to move out of the way, but that left Tropius vulnerable. The boulder clashed with the dinosaur, shattering into little shards afterwards. The dinosaur spiraled to the ground, but before it hit Barney called it back into its Pokeball. He took a step back and let Aurelia take the battlefield, knowing that he was knocked out. "You can do it."

Flexing her shoulders, Aurelia then glared at Roxanne. "Wingull, water gun." Wingull flew right up until the top of the gym - staying there for quite some time. Geodude attempted to haul another boulder at it, but it was an easy task for Wingull to dodge it. The white and blue bird soared straight down, gargling a large amount of water in its mouth. As soon as it got close enough to Geodude, Wingull let out the biggest torrent of water straight at Geodude. The rock Pokemon had no where to dodge, and took the attack full on. It knocked Geodude out instantly.

Roxanne slowly strolled over to Geodude, bending down to one knee and bumping her Pokeball against it. The ball sucked the rock Pokemon back in. She stood back up and shifted her attention to the two teens. She walked over to them, smiling elegantly as she did so.

"Congratulations. Your battling skills are impressive, especially the connection between each other. Now, here are your badges." Roxanne reached into her pocket and pulled out an official looking case. The case had a pink ribbon tied around it, it was made of blue glass and had multiple badges of the same design inside. Roxanne opened it and attempted to hand two to the teens, one each. But Barney was confused.

"I don't think I deserve this, I lost." Roxanne released a soft chuckle, placing her hand on Barney's shoulder.

"It doesn't matter if your Pokemon fainted. You challenged the gym as a couple, and you won the battle as a couple. It's yours." Roxanne took her hand off of Barney, then turned away. "Congrats!"

. . . . . .

And there they were again, in the same diner opposite the gym. This time they had a different meal in front of them. Chicken Soup. Aurelia was the only one eating, despite the fact that Barney also had a bowl. He was busy fiddling with the gym badge, he felt like he doesn't deserve it. "I honestly don't think I deserve this."

"You do! We won the battle in general, I guess." Aurelia raised the spoon up to her lips - taking a sip as she stared at Barney.

"But, Tropius fainted. And I let him faint." Barney glanced back at Aurelia.

"That's alright. Pokemon faint all the time. And there was nothing Tropius could have done to avoid that boulder." Sighing, Barney placed the badge into his pocket and started eating the soup - one hand on the spoon the other clenched into a fist on the table. Aurelia slid her hand over and held his. Despite the situation, Barney was feeling calmer than before. He looked back at Aurelia and let out a half-hearted smile. Her hand felt smooth, smoother than everyone else. He enjoyed it, and he gripped on tight.

They were interrupted when the waitress came back. Barney slid his hand back, admiring Aurelia's actions - releasing flickers of grins every now and then.

Aurelia took the bill from the waitress and immediately handed a few dollar bills to the waitress. She made no time open for Barney to try and pay, not this time. Barney chuckled, hand on a couple of notes in his pocket. He slid his hand back out, and grinned. He stared at Aurelia, examining her details closely. He got lost in his mind. _Those pair of beautiful green eyes. Those soft looking lips, and a smile. I've never seen hair so smooth, or so...beautiful._

Aurelia muffled a laugh, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing! Just...admiring."

. . . . . .

Aaaaand that's it! I don't think I'll be writing much battle scenes. I'll be writing more interactions and about the plot!

Hope you enjoyed it~


End file.
